Memorable Malham

 Wednesday 24th July 2024.                Memorable Malham

It would be a group of seven of the Lads that took on the challenge of exploring one of the spectacles of Malham, a rural village nestled in the splendid countryside of North Yorkshire. Their objective was the scenic setting of Janet’s Foss,  a location not far from the heart of the village. It would be a journey of both train and bus before John, Colin, Brian, Malcolm, Mark, Derek and Dave would arrive at the bus stop in Malham just outside The Buck Inn. They thanked the minibus driver for delivering them safely as the roads leading to this rural spot can be somewhat daunting at times. A few moments familiarising their whereabouts and then their expedition began, the time was now almost 10:40.

The pathway leading to Janet’s Foss was soon located and with a signpost indicating it was 1 mile to their objective it was best foot forward, they soon found themselves in open countryside with splendid views of this locality, meadow upon meadow of grazing sheep with the odd few cows thrown in, clumps of ageing woodland and wildflowers by the side of the running stream, what a delightful place to be , here in this part of Yorkshire. 

As we ambled along without a so called care in the world, we suddenly realised how peaceful it was , only being interrupted with the odd birdsong and bleating sheep, plus the occasional burst of laughter from us lot. A few nods of the head and  helpful guides as we negotiate the many wishing gates along our way , leading to conversations with complete strangers all on our way to Janet’s Foss. The last few yards of our journey there proving a little difficult for some of us to negotiate, slippery rocks and tree roots on a uphill climb, nevertheless we all safely reach our target, a picturesque waterfall setting with a small pool surrounded by a woodland glade, quite a few others had taken this journey also and were enjoying its beauty.

We spent a short time here resting and admiring its charm before heading a little further up the rocky pathway towards our lunchtime destination, that of a picnic bench set beside a sandwich van ideally parked in a roadside lay-by. Some of the Lads purchasing food items from this said van before setting up residence on the bench etc.

John in the meantime, feeling a little more energetic went in search of Gordale Scar, supposedly half a mile further along the pathway. He returned some twenty minutes later to inform us of what he had discovered, another waterfall at the end of a vast cavernous rocky escarpment.

 

Should we consider this extension to our experience or not! With time being an important issue we decided it would be better to give this a miss on this occasion, instead we considered whether we returned to Malham village by the way we came or instead by the roadway connection. After much deliberation it was by the roadway journey we would return.

This proving somewhat taxing at the onset, a rather difficult uphill struggle at first to say the least, some ten minutes later we reached more level ground and a steady descent on towards the village, this roadway was very narrow at certain points with vehicles taking extra care when passing one another, we had to take refuge on the grass verges.We seemed to reach the village sooner than expected, so some time was spent enjoying our choice of Ice Cream whilst sat at a bench situated outside the Lister Arms public house. As per usual our thoughts now turned to railway timetables and what future arrangements can be put in place as to how we reach those destinations etc. Now with the time approaching ten past one we slowly made our way to the bus stop in order to catch our returning ride back to Skipton and then back towards Leeds by train.

Our bus journey from Malham back to Skipton was as frantic as the outward journey but at least we got to singalong with music coming from the drivers radio much to the delight of everyone on board. We only had a few minutes to spare as we leapt off the bus and quickly made our way to the waiting train. John leaving the train at Bingley, followed by Mark at Shipley the rest of us continued on to Leeds and then taking our respective homeward journeys.

Upon reflection today’s adventure was full of thrills and spills interspersed with endless enjoyment and fortitude in overcoming what lay before us, great things can be achieved if you try.

Cheers Everyone 

Likeable Lincoln

 Wednesday 17th July 2024.                Likeable Lincoln 

What a very interesting day was in store for the Lads today, little did they know what the outcome would be! as they all travelled to the ancient city of Lincoln, various train time schedules had been put in place that would involve travelling to Doncaster and then from platform 5 at the departing time of 9:47 it would be John, Colin, Derek, Brian, Glenn, Mark and Dave that boarded a East Midland Railway train heading for Lincoln, once there they would meet up with Jeff Duggan who had travelled from his home town of Sleaford. The train was on time and Jeff greeted us as we got off the train, time about 10:40 am.

After a few moments greeting him and discussing our intended plans for the day , John went in search of a bus timetable in Order to confirm our afternoon plan. Once he returned we then all climbed aboard a city bus that would whisk us up the very steep road heading for the Magnificent Cathedral here in the city. We soon found ourselves outside this splendid structure and stood in ore at its sheer size and wonderful stonework etc. A few brief moments were spent inside the building reading some of the many artefacts before we ventured on through a city gateway and on towards the summit of the so-called Steep Hill Street, from here it would be a steady descent over the cobblestones until we reached the more level ground of the city centre. We were in search of a recommended lunchtime meal cafe,  going by the name of Rising Cafe , it would be a mobile phone app that eventually got us there, what a great place to have come across to say the least, we whiled away almost an hour and a quarter enjoying our meals and the various conversations that brought back reminiscing times of days gone by, great banter and work related stories. 

Soon it was time to leave this establishment and venture a little further, not before saying a big thank you to the staff here at Rising Cafe. A good 10 minutes walk now found our group of eight inside the relatively new bus station building in search of the appropriate coach that would transport us to our next destination, that of the International Bomber Command Centre, a ten minutes ride away, a little confusion ensued for a moment or two before we eventually boarded a number 2 bus heading part of the way there. Little did we expect to get dropped off only halfway up the hillside leading to this memorable building, it was a bit of a struggle for some of the Lads to complete the journey to the entrance door, but we eventually made it.

Once inside the building we were now able to view the vast amount of information boards telling stories of what this entire complex was put in place for, a history of the events that took place during WW 2 , short films showing the various conflicts throughout this period were able to be watched as well, what a fascinating experience for all of us, topped off by a short guided tour around the memorial gardens and an insight into why this project was built here on the hilltop overlooking the city of Lincoln.

With our schedule returning train journeys looming, it was back to a nearby bus stop and take the relatively short rideback in the direction of the city and it’s Train Station etc, not before consuming a delightful ice cream courtesy of Brian and John whilst sat enjoying the beautiful sunshine that we had been blessed with today.

 

We said our farewell to Jeff and wished him a safe journey home as we made our way to platform No 5 and climb aboard our 16:17 train hopefully heading for Retford and then make a connection to Doncaster.What happened on this particular journey can only be explained as hilarious, fraught with confusion but enjoyable to all concerned, even our travelling companions aboard this train were subjected to our ramblings, all brought about by a text message to Derek informing him that his onward journey from Retford to Doncaster and from Doncaster to Wakefield was experiencing some delays, this would affect all of us, various conversations now ensued even involving the very helpful ticket inspector, a pretty young girl who went beyond her call of duty to resolve our journey plan, did we stay on this train and accept it would be a rather lengthy journey in the direction of Leeds, calling at numerous stations along the way , or risk leaving it at Retford and assume our train to Doncaster would suddenly appear on time. The decision was made, off the train we got, only quickly to get back on again after a brief update from our pleasant ticket inspector informing us there were further delays to our intended train to Doncaster. So it was sit back and enjoy this rather time consuming journey, as we began to tick off the various stations along our way. John was still concerned about the final arrival time at Leeds by this particular train so much so he continued to find an alternative solution much to his dismay he couldn’t come up with a solution.

It would a change of plans for Derek, Dave and Glenn as they left the train at Kirkgate  station instead of Wakefield Westgate, not too much of a problem for them , Colin, John, Brian and Mark now travelling on to Leeds , hopefully arriving at around 6:45 pm.but alas , an unexpected delay near Normanton caused the final arrival time to change somewhat, It was well after 8 pm when John got home.

Upon reflection today’s adventure was full of excitement and intrigue, plus what can be gleaned from fellow travellers on the rail network, some will enjoy our banter whilst others may think we are a noisy bunch of old men. Knowing all this I think we will still ride the Rails etc.

Cheers Everyone for a rather interesting day!!

Wilsden to Cullingworth

 Wednesday 10th July 2024              Wilsden Wondering 

It would be best foot forward for the Lads today has they tread their way along the scenic paths and country lanes of this particular area of West Yorkshire. The area in question is that of Wilsden and its close neighbour Cullingworth.

It would be a group of 7 that would participate in this adventure, Colin, Mark, Glenn, Derek, Malcolm, Dave and finally John, whose locality we are exploring. The lads all met up at Bingley Railway Station about 10:45 this was in order to catch the little green number 4 bus waiting outside the station, it would then wind it’s way up the country roads leading out of Bingley and on to the far reaches of Wilsden and finally drop them off at a spot known locally as Harecroft. From this point it would be John taking the lead  up a steady incline lane and on towards a great advantage view of the surrounding landscape. Off in the distance we could see our intended target, that of Hewenden Viaduct , a reminder of the Victorian era and the structures that were built to accommodate a vast expanding railway network. This particular section being that of the Great Northern Railway, we would eventually cross this viaduct at some point on our journey, first we have to navigate the country lanes and pathways that would lead us there. 

Several stops along our journey were taken just to appreciate what was out there, the rolling hillsides crisscrossed with drystone walls, cows and sheep grazing in the fields, the odd wind turbines that were dotted all around us talking good advantage of this location. After over an hour’s walking we eventually came to to viaduct and a few moments spent here enjoying its splendour and the magnificent views it provided us with, up to now the weather was favourable with none of the expected rain actually falling on us, a blessing to say the least.

Once we had all successfully crossed the viaduct we continued along the track until we were able to access a suitable roadway taking us into the town of Cullingworth and locate the bus stop and to rest awhile whilst catching our breath from a hurried last few hundred yards or so ,from here where we could take a bus back towards Bingley and take advantage of a local cafe for a well earned lunchtime meal. The premises were that of the Loft Cafe situated on the high street here in Bingley and what an enjoyable meal was had by all, served with very helpful and accommodating staff. 

It was just a short distance from the cafe to the railway station so no need to hurry over our meals as we discussed arrangements for the upcoming trip to Lincoln, eventually some train time schedule was agreed upon. As the cafe clock told us it was a little before 2:30pm Colin and Malcolm made their exit in order to take an earlier train back to Leeds, the rest of us leaving the cafe some 15 minutes later. John remained in Bingley and waved us goodbye as we left the railway station on our way back to Leeds and our further journeys home.

Upon reflection today’s adventure was most enjoyable, being out in the fresh air with great company a little taxing at times with over 4 miles covered,but we were able to overcome these anxieties.

Cheers Everyone.

Brian’s Birthday Bash

 Wednesday 3rd July 2024                  Brian’s  Birthday Bash

As the title suggests, today the lads are celebrating the occasion of Brian’s birthday with a visit to the West Yorkshire town of Saltaire. They plan to carry out a circular walk which will include walking along the canal bank and then return along the riverbank ending up at the Boathouse Inn for a lunch time meal.

It was a group of seven that participated in the walk, those being Colin, Mark, Derek, Dave, Glenn, Malcolm and of course Birthday Boy himself Brian, joining them for the meal would be Keith, who would be in for a memorable surprise. John unfortunately having to withdraw from this outing due to last minute commitments.

The seven lads doing the walk met up at the railway station in Saltaire at about 10:45, from the station it is just a short distance down to the canal side and the beginning of their 3 mile walk. It was a pleasurable walk with the odd siting of wildlife ,the weather stayed favourable with no rain falling upon us at all. Along the way we sang the customary happy birthday song for the pleasure of Brian with some other fellow walkers joining our rendition.

We were scheduled to meet up with Keith outside the Boathouse Inn at about 12:15 and that was what happened, a table had been pre booked for 12:30 so they were expecting our group. It wasn’t too long before we found ourselves seated at the cafe and ordering our drinks along with our individual preferred meal options.With our lunches enjoyed the conversation turned to future plans and travel arrangements along with a surprise presentation for Keith. 

A few weeks earlier he had celebrated his 80th birthday, so to honour this event the rest of the Lads had clubbed together and purchased a most memorable gift in acknowledgement of the true friendship that they share with him, he was truly gratefully overwhelmed by this gesture.

Upon reflection today’s celebrations were what can be achieved through great friendships .

Well Done Everyone.